ModaMiami Auction: Three Classic Convertibles

Design masterpieces for under $1 million

1970 Maserati Ghibli: A Giugiaro Masterpiece

The current Maserati Ghibli sport sedan is objectively a better performer than the car from which it inherited its name, the original 1967-1973 Ghibli. One look at the original, though, and you know why it could never be eclipsed by mere performance numbers. A true design masterpiece, the original Ghibli emerged from the pen of Giorgetto Giugiaro, working for Ghia at the time.

The Ghibli is said to be his favorite design from that period, and that’s the opinion of a designer who had already done the Iso Grifo and Alfa Romeo GTV. While Lamborghini was borrowing names from the world of bullfighting, Maserati turned to meteorology. The Ghibli name comes from a North African windstorm. The Ghibli Spider arrived for 1969 and just 125 were made through 1973 out of 1,170 total Ghibli production.

The Ghibli indeed moved like the wind, thanks to a 4.7-liter V8 descended from the marque’s late 1950s race engine. Aluminum construction, double overhead cams, dry-sump lubrication, and four twin-barrel Weber carbs gave the Maserati V8 exotic cred. At the same time, its conventional 90-degree crankshaft yielded the classic burbling V8 exhaust note, not unlike an American muscle car of the time.

A V8 to Take on V12s

Like some American V8s, the Maserati Ghibli’s engine was not a high-revver, with its tachometer showing a modest 5,500-rpm redline. The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona’s 4.4-liter V12 could easily go to 7,000. The Maserati’s V8, though, gave 340 lb.-ft. of torque versus about 315 lb.-ft. for the Daytona. The Ghibli was not meant to be an ultimate supercar, but rather a very fast, comfortable, and easy-to-drive GT. (The later 4.9-liter Ghiblis were a bit faster.)

Reflecting that mission, the yellow 1970 Ghibli Spider offered by RM Sotheby’s is a European market model with the five-speed manual transmission and also equipped with the factory-optional power steering and air conditioning. The car’s accompanying Maserati Classiche Certificate of Authenticity and book verify the original engine and transmission. The pre-sale estimate is $600k-$700k.

1957 Dual-Ghia: A Brat Pack Favorite

In the late 1950s, Hollywood royals Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, and Peter Lawford could have bought any car they wanted, and there were many big names with big price tags vying for their attention. All three (and other glitterati) were smitten for a time with a car that even today can elicit quizzical facial expressions from some: the Dual-Ghia.

Just 117 of these convertibles emerged from a seemingly unlikely collaboration between an American truck maker and the Italian coachbuilder, Carrozzeria Ghia, with cooperation from Chrysler Corporation. Starting in the early 1950s, Chrysler and Ghia had collaborated on a series of stunning concept cars designed by Virgil Exner at Chrysler. One of those, the Dodge Firearrow IV, had gone through a restyle and returned as the horribly named Firebomb for 1955.

From Concept Car to Limited Production

Truck maker Eugene Casaroll, whose Dual-Motors had built dual-engine transport trucks for the U.S. military in WWII, worked his contacts at Chrysler to purchase that concept car and the rights to build it with Ghia. Dual-Motors bought Dodge chassis directly from Chrysler and shipped them to Ghia in Italy. There, the wheelbase was shortened to 115 inches, and craftsmen hand-built the steel convertible body and the elegant leather-trimmed interior.

The body shells with interiors went back to the U.S. for installation of the Dodge 315 cu. in. Hemi V8 engine and automatic transmission and final assembly. The $7,700 price was a few hundred dollars more than the contemporary Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible, which itself was a limited-production premium model at the time.

Single-Family Owned

Remarkably, the Dual-Ghia offered by RM Sotheby’s is from single-family ownership from new. The etched dash plaque confirms the car was built for Alex G. Campbell Jr. of Lexington, Kentucky. Though not documented, Sinatra was said to have tried persuading Casaroll to sell the car to his fellow entertainer and close friend, Sammy Davis, Jr.

Campbell commissioned a concours restoration in 2007, in which the car was painted the Kentucky-appropriate Keeneland Green over two-tone green and white trim. Four years later, this Dual-Ghia took First in Class at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The pre-sale estimate is $350k-$450k.

Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5: Handcrafted and Rare

Also offered with a pre-sale estimate of $350k-$450k, the 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280E 3.5 Cabriolet offered by RM Sotheby’s was also a car that attracted Hollywood elite in its day. Priced at about $14,000 when new, and with just over 1,200 built from 1969-1971, this Benz had movie star written all over it. In comparison, a 1971 Porsche 911S Targa started at $9,600.

Mercedes had previously offered convertible versions of the exquisite W111 coupe designed by Paul Bracq, then head of Mercedes design. Those first appeared in the early 1960s with six-cylinder engines. RM Sotheby’s has one of those in the same auction, a 1963 300SE Cabriolet, with a pre-sale estimate of $200k-$300k.

Timeless Design, Defined

In the 1960s, few cars conveyed the elegance of a Mercedes coupe or convertible, and that was by design for these purposely low-volume models. The W111 series coupe had one of the most artfully detailed rooflines in the business, but for some, a top that went down was the only way to roll, especially in California.

Much hand work went into the W111 coupe and convertible bodies, inside and out, which resulted in prices about 70 percent higher than the nearly $8,000 sedans with which they shared most of their mechanical parts. The two-door cars were pricey for the time: $13,720 for the 280SE 3.5 coupe and $14,380 for the Cabriolet in 1971.

Here’s a quick review of those model numbers. For 1968, a new 2.8-liter inline six replaced the previous 2.5- and 3.0-liter sixes, with the 280 badge replacing 250 and 300. That makes sense, right? But when the wonderful new 3.5-liter aluminum V8 joined the line, the car remained a 280SE, with a “3.5” badge appended.

125-MPH Beauty

The Mercedes 3.5-liter V8 was a modern design at the time, with aluminum cylinder block and heads, overhead cams, and Bosch fuel injection. It made about 190 net horsepower. Acceleration with the four-speed automatic transmission and 3,800-pound weight was brisk but not blazing, with 0-60 in about 10 seconds. The high-geared car could, however, reach an impressive 125 mph.

There was more than an engine swap here. Mercedes redesigned the front end of the V8 cars, giving them a lower center hood section and a lower, wider grille. The six-cylinder versions would later adopt those changes. Luxury was typical Mercedes for the time, elegant and with quality materials would outlast fashion trends. There were no power seats and no power top, not even as an extra-cost option. You had to get out and raise it manually. With a car this beautiful, you’d love doing it.

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